Questions tagged [grammar-identification]
Use this tag when asking about a grammatical structure you cannot name and want explained.
48 questions
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On the (typical?) ambiguity of "Porta clausa est"
It is often said that Porta clausa est can have two readings depending on the categorial nature of the participle: verbal (cf. clauditur/clausa est) or adjectival (cf. clausa est/clausa fuit), which ...
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The function of "quo" in "Quō quisque est sollertior, hōc docet īrācundius"
In A&G on indefinite pronouns there are two sentences of a similar structure:
Bonus liber melior est quisque quō mâior. (The larger a good book is, the better.)
Quō quisque est sollertior, hōc ...
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Grammatical structure of "Obsidibus imperatis centum hos Haeduis custodiendos tradit"
@Mitomino points out in this comment that my understanding of what modifies what in the sentence shown below from De Bello Gallico (VI.4.3) is mistaken. I'll diagram my understanding below. Can you ...
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Can the supine ablative be used for motion?
I came across an Asterix translated into Latin.
In the first story page the village chief notices that Asterix and Obelix return from a hunt and says: Asterix atque Obelix venatu redeunt!
My question ...
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Why "decorem indutus est" instead of "decore indutus est"?
Psalm 92 v. 1
Dóminus regnávit, decórem indútus est: * indútus est Dóminus fortitúdinem, et præcínxit se.
The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty: * the Lord is clothed with strength, and ...
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Agreement in "medio tutissimus ibis"
Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book II, line 137 gives us the aphorism
(in) medio tutissimus ibis
The English translation for this is typically given as "In the middle, you will go most safe."
How does "...
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Nonne "a fortiori, a priori, a posteriori" solecismi sunt?
Are the terms a fortiori, a priori, and a posteriori bad Latin? If so, how and when did they become established?
I understand that the dative case never takes a preposition in Latin—a most welcome ...
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"Et in terra pax hominibus bona voluntas" [sic!]
I have a German Christmas song of the 16th century, which is bilingual, German–Latin. The lyrics go as follows (I translated the German parts into English):
O how beautiful the group of angels ...
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Why are descriptive subjects in the genitive?
I notice that in the De Naturis Animantium of Suetonius, he uses the genitive to describe the subjects of behavior. So, for example, he writes est [...] anatum tetrissitare ("it is of ducks to ...
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Can a noun be qualified by two juxtaposed adjectives?
I read online (I'm sorry, I can't remember where) that if two adjectives refer to the same noun, you have to use a conjunction like "et" or "-que".
Socrates sapiens senex vir est. ...
user11979
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The Purpose of "Natu"
Following on from the question "Using Genitive & Infinitive To Describe Characteristics"; Joonas (26/6/19): "adulescentis est maiores natu revereri." = "It is of a young person to respect his/ her ...
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Why is the subject in the infinitive clause in accusative case?
Dōrippa: Nūlla fēmina mē miserior vīvit, Sanniō. Melius est mē mortuam esse quam sine amīcīs in hāc urbe vivere!"
Sanniō: Quid ais: 'sine amīcīs'? Nūper nōn modo Lepidus...
Why is mē mortuam ...
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Using genitive and infinitive to describe characteristics
Answering this question, I recalled a somewhat rare construction used to express that an action is characteristic of someone.
Pekkanen's Ars Grammatica (§77.1) gives two examples:
Cuiusvis hominis est ...
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Ars gratia artis
I would like to know the meaning of the following Latin expression, as well as a grammatical analysis of the individual words in this context:
ARS GRATIA ARTIS
as it appears in the following logo of ...
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Is the Phrase "Sola Dea Fatum Novit" Proper Latin?
I have seen this sentence translated as both "Only the Goddess knows fate" and "Only the Goddess knows their fate". That aside, I remember someone telling me that this was not correct Latin, and it ...
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